Folding crate



g- 1, 1967 1.. R. SINCLAIR 3,333,720

FOLDING CRATE Original Filed March 2, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet l 3/ Lpj 2r 4 Aug. 1, 1967 L. R. SINCLAIR FOLDING CRATE 4 Sheets-$heet 2 Original Filed March 2, 1965 mVEN'roR LORN R. SINCLAIR I I, I I 6 Aug. 1, 1967 1.. R. SINCLAIR FOLDING CRATE 4 Sheets-Sheet Original Filed March 1965 L. R. SINCLAIR FOLDING CRATE Aug. 1, 1967 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed March 2, 1965 R m w m M m mR w e w mm A! m m m! L n United States Patent 3,333,720 FOLDING CRATE Lorne R. Sinclair, 1549 W. 32nd Ave., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Continuation of application Ser. No. 436,521, Mar. 2, 1965. This application Oct. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 590,177 17 Claims. (Cl. 217-15) This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 436,521, filed Mar. 2, 1965.

This invention relates to folding crates, particularly of the re-usable type which are to be knocked for re shipment.

In the shipment of valuable commodites, loss due to pilferage and the like, is usually quite high. Consequently, the crates or boxes in which such commodities are to be transported must be heavily constructed and which, con sequently, affects their bulk frequently resulting in boxes being not suitable for reshipment back to their point of origin in an unloaded condition. Ther has been, for this reason, a great wastage of boxes or crates of this nature.

It is appreciated that folding boxes or crates have been heretofore devised. However, they have only been partially successful in that where the strength necessary to prevent pilferage has been paramount, handling in reshipment has suffered, and where complete collapsibility of a heavy crate has been achieved it has usually been accomplished by forming a box of a relatively large number of individual separable components, a factor which very frequently results in the loss of one of the components, and a relatively great length of time involved in knocking-down and subsequent re-assembly.

The present invention provides a box or crate which is so constructed as to be foldable into a small compact bundle for reshipment without the necessity of dismantling or separating any one part of the box from another part, and which therefore prevents loss, due to misadventure, of one or more of its components.

The present invention further provides a box which is of solid strong construction when erected and which is so constructed as to be proof against pilferage and the like, yet which may be partially opened with ease to provide for inspection of its contents, or for access to the interior, when used as a storage bin.

The present invention further provides a box in which one or more of the sides may easily be removed from the bottom of the box, where necessary, so as to permit the bottom of the box to serve as a pallet and to facilitate removal of the contents of the box and unloading therefrom.

The present invention comprises a flat rectangular base, vertically arrangeable end and side walls, a cover hingedly mounted to one of the walls, hinges at the lower edges of the walls connecting the latter to the base with the hinges of at least one wall being formed of separable and releasably connectable hinge elements to permit said one wall to be detached from the base, the hinges at each wall being arranged so as to provide pivotal inward movement of each of them at different heights above the base corresponding to the thickness of each wall, whereby the latter may be moved from said vertical position to a folded overlapping position parallel to the base, and interlocking means at the side edges of the Walls for releasably connecting each wall to a wall adjacent when the said walls are arranged in their vertical positions.

In the drawings which illustrate the embodiments of the invention,

"ice

FIGURE 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment of the invention in an erected condition with the lid thereof open,

FIGURE 2 is a partial sectionalized view taken along line 2-2 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 2,

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged isometric view of a portion of the box of FIGURE 1 taken in the direction of line 4-4 of FIGURE 3, with portions partially removed for clarity,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view in elevation taken along line 6-6 of FIGURE 5,

FIGURE 7 is an end view of the box of FIGURE 1 in a folded condition,

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the box of FIGURE 1 taken along line 8-8 of FIGURE 7,

FIGURE 9 is an isometric view of another embodiment of the invention in an erected condition with the lid thereof open,

FIGURE 10 is a partial side view of one wall of the embodiment of FIGURE 9 illustrating the hinge elements in an interconnected position,

FIGURE 11 is a view similar to FIGURE 10 illustrating a portion of the hinge elements in a non-hingedly interconnected position,

FIGURE 12 is a sectional view taken along line 12-12 of FIGURE 10,

FIGURE 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-13 of FIGURE 10, and

FIGURE 14 is a sectional view taken along line 14-14 of FIGURE 10.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of the box or crate herein given the numeral 10 is, when in an erected condition, of substantially rectangular construction having a base or bottom 11, side walls 12 and 13, end walls 15 and 16, and a lid or cover 18. In the construction of the box, it is preferred to employ relatively thick plywood sheets. However, said bottom walls and lid may be of any suitable material of construction depending upon the required strength of the box.

Preferably all of the' walls 12, 13, 15 and 16 are releasably secured to the base 11 in a manner hereinafter to be described, whereby they may be moved from a position in which each of the walls are folded upon one another and upon the base, as illustrated in FIGURE 7, to an erected position, as shown in FIGURE 1. As the method of releasably securing said walls to said base is the same for each of the walls, only the connection of wall 12 to base 11 will be described as follows.

Extending along one side 21 of the base 11 at the latters upper surface 22, is an elongated hollow U-shaped metallic housing 23. This housing may be made of sheet metal bent into a substantially rectangular shape having parallel side walls 25 and 26, a lower end wall 27, and an upper end wall 28, the corner formed by the juncture of wall 28 and wall 25 being rounded as at 30. The lower end wall 27 of the housing is bolted or otherwise attached as at 31 to the base 11 so that the side walls 25 and 26 are substantially vertical and with the rounded corner 30 facing the inside of the box.

A plurality of bolts 35 having shafts 36 extend transversely through the housing 23 adjacent to the lower end wall 27 and rotatably mounted on said shafts 36, are

elongated sleeves 37. These sleeves act as a rolling support for an elongated bar 38 which is preferably of steel, said bar resting on edge on the sleeve 37. This bar 38 is shorter than the housing and is therefore free to move longitudinally of the latter, being guided and maintained centrally between the side walls 25 and 26 by means of short extending pins or lugs 40 which extend from the sides of the bar and slidably engage said side walls 25 and 26.

The upper edge 41 of this bar has ratchet teeth 41 which may be formed therein or attached thereto and which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 42, the latter being pivotally secured inside the housing on a pin 43, said pawl being urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth 41 by means of a compression spring 44 extending between the pawl and the upper end wall 28 of the housing. This pawl 42 has an operating pin 45 extending from one side thereof and through an arcuately shaped slot 46 cut in side wall 25.

The housing 23 is also partially cut away at its upper end wall 28 to form a plurality of elongated apertures 47. These apertures are adapted to receive the lower looped ends 48 of U-shaped metallic straps 49 secured to the side wall 12 of the box, said looped ends extending below the lower edge 50 of said side walls 12 and into the apertures 47, this construction being shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings.

To the bar are secured by welding or the like a number of L-shaped pintles 51, one of which is shown in FIGURE 3, the pintles extending longitudinally of said bar and being spaced apart at the same spacing of the apertures 47 so that each of the pintles 51 may be brought at the same time beneath the apertures 47. These pintles 51 are so shaped and of such a size that when they are brought beneath the apertures, they will slidably enter the looped ends 48 of the straps 49, thereby hingedly securing the wall 12 to the housing 23. The housing 23 and U-shaped straps 49 serve, therefore, as mating hinge elements releasably connected by the pintles 51, the latter serving as hinge pins. 7

It is to be observed that when the pintles are brought into engagement with the looped ends 43 of said straps, the pawl 42 will normally engage the ratchet 41 to prevent accidental retraction of the bar and thereby prevent accidental disengagement of the pintles 51 from the straps 49. The walls, therefore, are free to rotate about the pintles 51 between an upright position, as shown in FIG- URE l, to the folded position, as shown in FIGURE 7, the rounded edge 30 permitting this rotative' movement. With the wall 12 in its upright or erected position, its lower edge 50 contacts and presses against the upper end wall 28 of the housing, said lower edge 50 is therefore recessed at its outer end as at 52 and a strip 53 of resilient material, such as rubber, secured in the recess by means of a suitable adhesive. The strip 53 serves as a buffer and weather seal between said lower edge 50 of the wall 12 and the upper end wall 28 of the housing 23.

As has been previously explained, the pawl 42 is normally urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth 41 by the spring 44. In order, therefore, to disengage the pawl from said ratchet teeth, the wall 12 has secured thereto, in a suitably shaped recess 54 formed on its inner surface, a transversely extending rod 55 which, when the box is in its erected condition as shown in FIGURE 1, extends vertically and, having secured at its lower end 56, a hook 57 formed of a spring steel wire, said hook being located directly above the operating pin 45 of the pawl. The rod is normally secured to the wall by staples 58 through which it may be slidably extended downwardly so that the hook 57 may engage the operating pin 45, whereby the pawl may be pivotally moved around its pin 43 to disengage it from the ratchet teeth 41.

In order to move the bar 38 when the pawl 42 is disengaged, said bar is provided with a laterally extending bolt 60 which extends through a suitably shaped slot formed in side wall 26, said bolt pivotally and slidably V the inner surface 90 of said side wall 12. To the vertical extending through an elongated slot 61 formed in a lever 63, the latter being pivotally secured as by pins or bolts 65 to the base 11. It will be seen that by moving the lever one way or the other, the bar 38 may be slidably moved one way or the other within the housing 23 to either engage or disengage the pintle 51 with the looped end 48 of the strap 49.

Walls 13, 15 and 16 are each hingedly secured to housings 70, 71 and 72, respectively, the latter being formed and secured to the base in the same manner as housing 23. However, in order for walls 12, 13, 15 and 16 to be folded upon one another and upon the base as shown in FIGURE 7, the housings are all of different heights, each housing varying in height by the thickness of the walls 12, 13, 15 and 16, the lowest housing being housing 71 to permit wall 15 to lie flat upon the base 11, and housings 72 and 23 again being of different heights, but higher than housing 71 in order for walls 16 and 12 to be folded one upon the other and on top of wall 15. Housing 15 is the highest of said housings and therefore permits wall 13 to be folded on top of the three preceding walls. Alternatively, square or rectangular metal members, not shown, of various heights may be used as spacers to give the same eifect, viz. housings of different heights.

Although all walls 12, 13, 15 and 16 may be made of single sheets of plywood or the like, it is preferred that wall 12 be so constructed that when a plurality of boxes, all constructed in the form of box 10 are to be stacked one upon the other, the front panels may be dropped prior to stacking to permit inspection or access to the contents when boxes are used as material storage units. Wall 12,

therefore, is of two-part construction having a lower por- 1 tion 78 to which is hingedly secured as by hinge 80 an upper portion 79, this hinge permits said upper portion to be swung outwardly without in any way disturbing the lower portion 78. The walls 12, 13, 15 and 16 are so formed that when the box 10 is arranged in its erected condition, end walls 15 and 16 lie inside side walls 12 and 13. To the vertical edges of said side walls 12 and 13 are secured inwardly turned elongated channel-like brackets 85, one of which is shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, and which illustrate the connection of side wall 12 to end wall 16 at one corner thereof. The bracket is U-shaped to extend around the vertical edge 87 of said side wall 12, one leg 88 of the bracket being secured as by rivets or screws to wall 12 while the other leg 89 is spaced from edge 92 and of end wall 16 is secured an elongated L-v shaped clip 93, one leg 94 of which is secured by rivets or screws 95 to the inner surface 97 of said end wall 16. In order to join said walls 12 and 16, it is only necessary to move the end wall 16 slightly inwardly of said side wall, then move it back outwardly until the clip 93 is inserted between the leg 89 of the bracket 85 and the inner surface of the side wall 12. This will prevent said side wall from swinging outwardly away from said end wall 16. In order to prevent the end wall 16 from falling inwardly in the box, a detent is employed to maintain the clip and bracket 85 in engagement, said detent comprising an arcuately shaped strip 100 of spring steel which issecured at one end 102 as by rivets or screws 103 to the inner surface 90 of side wall 12. This strip at its other end 104 extends towards but is spaced from the leg 89 of the bracket 85 and is so arranged that its other or free end 104 must be depressed into a suitably shaped recess 106 formed in said side wall 12 to permit the L-shaped clip 93 to be moved into engagement with the bracket 85. When the clip 93 is moved into the bracket fully, the strip 100 will then return to its normal position behind the clip 93 to therefore maintain the latter in engagement with the bracket 85. In order to disengage the clip 93 from the bracket 85, it is seen that it is only necessary to depress the strip 100 into the recess 106 and therefore provide free passage for the clip to be moved out of engagement with said bracket. The construction of the bracket 85 and clip 93 and their relative location to each other, together with the strip 100 is shown and illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6.

As has been previously explained, the brackets 85 and clips 93 are arranged adjacent the upper edges of the side walls 12, 13, 15 and 16. However, where side wall 12 is formed of the hinged lower and upper portions 78 and 79, respectively, the brackets 85 and clips 93 must be positioned adjacent the upper edges of the said lower portion 78 to permit the hinged movement of the upper portion 79.

The lid 18 is hingedly secured to side wall 18, the adjoining edges of said lid and said side wall 18 being suitably bevelled to permit said lid to be swung to a position over the top of the walls 12, 13, 15 and 16 when the box is in its erected position, as shown in FIGURE 1, and to be swung over and flat upon side wall 13 when the box is knocked down to its folded position, as shown in FIG- URE 7. The lid also is provided with a hasp, not shown, which is arranged to engage with a looped member 110 hingedly secured to the upper portion 79 of side wall 12, and said loop provided with a lock, not shown, whereby the box may be securely padlocked to prevent pilferage.

When the box is knocked down into its folded condition, as shown in FIGURE 7, transportation of and storage thereof is a simple problem. However, in order to provide a tightly folded package, the lid 18 at one of its edges 111 is provided With a fastening hook 112 which may be swung to engage a suitably located pintle 113 extending from an edge 114 of the base 11. This arrangement is shown in FIGURES 7 and 8. The hook 112 is formed having an elongated shaft portion 115, to one end 116 of which is hingedly secured a hook portion 117, the shaft portion 115 is slidably located in a bore 118 extending into the lid 18 at its edge 111, said bore having an outer portion 119 of reduced diameter from its inner portion 120 to form an annular shoulder 121. The shaft slidably extends through the reduced portion and is enlarged at its other end 123 to prevent Withdrawal of said shaft portion through the reduced portion 119 of the bore. A coiled compression spring is located over the shaft portion 115 between the shoulder 121 and the enlarged end 123 of said shaft to normally urge said shaft portion fully into the bore 118. The edge 111 is also recessed at 126 adjacent the bore to receive the hook portion 117 of the hook 112 when the spring urges the shaft fully into the bore. No portion of the hook will therefore show when the box is in its erected condition. However, by simply pulling the hook outwardly of the bore against the spring, the hook may be extended so that the hook portion may be engaged with the pintle 113.

It will be seen that a box or crate constructed in accordance with the foregoing is capable of being quickly and easily folded or erected without the necessity of removing any of its walls, yet which once erected is proof against pilferage by reason of the fact that the lid must be lifted before the operating rods can be employed as hereinbefore described. It will also be seen that if need be, the walls of the box may, quite easily, be removed to permit loading equipment, such as forklift trucks, to unload heavy pieces of equipment, such as electric motors, from the base 11. Alternatively, the base may serve as a pallet from which the contents of the box may be taken directly by the customer where the container is employed as one of the units in a retail buy-from-a-pallet system.

Although it is preferred that all the walls 12, '13, 15 and 16 shall be releasably secured to the base 11, it is to be appreciated that one or more of said walls may have a non-removable hinge connection with the base. In such event, it is only necessary to replace the pintles 51 with a continuous rod or like, not shown, which may extend from one end to the other of the housing 23, said rod extending through the loops 48 of the straps 49. This arrangement is not illustrated in the drawings as such a simple expedient would be self-evident to any skilled workman.

FIGURES 10 to 14 illustrate another embodiment of the invention.

The box or crate 140 is designed and constructed to withstand strains imposed upon crates and the like in which relatively heavy articles are to be transported. This box 140 comprises a flat rectangular base 141 formed of heavy sheet plywood or the like, side walls 142 and 143, end walls 145 and 146, and a lid or cover 147, said walls being hingedly connected to the base 141 to rotate on axes spaced one above the level of the other, in the manner of walls 12 to 16 of embodiment 10 so that said walls may be folded one over the other parallel to the base, and the cover 147 hingedly connected in the manner of cover 18 of embodiment 10 so that the entire box when folded forms a compact bundle in the manner as illustrated in FIGURE 7 of the drawings. 1

It is also preferred that the walls of embodiment 140 shall all be removable from the base 141. However, it is to be understood that one or more may have a permanent hinged connection to the base 141.

As the method of detachably securing any of the removable walls to the base is the same for each of the walls, only the removable connection of wall 142 to the base 141 will be described.

Fixed, as by rivets 149 to the lower edge 150 of wall 142 and extending from end to end thereof, is a U-shaped channel or housing 153, said channel having an inner leg 154, an outer leg and base 156. This channel 153 is provided with a plurality of longitudinaly spaced apart apertures 157, each of which extends transversely across the base 156 and up the inner leg 154.

A longitudinally elongated guide bar 158 slidably rides Within a grove 159 formed in the inner surface of said side wall 142 adjacent its lower edge being maintained therein by bracket elements 160 connected as by rivets 161 to said wall 142 and, secured to the guide bar 158 at intervals corresponding to the aperture interval, are L- shaped pintles 163, said pintles having longitudinally extending portions 164 which lie in slidable engagement with the inner leg 154 of the channel 153. These portions 164 are arranged so as to be moved by the guide bar 158 between a position, as illustrated in FIGURE 10, wherein they extend across the apertures 157 and, a position as illustrated in FIGURE 11, in which they lie clear of said apertures 157.

Secured adjacent one end of the guide bar 158, is one end 171 of a tension spring 173, the other end 174 of said spring 173 being secured to a pin 175 extending from the wall 142. This spring is arranged so that it continually urges the guide bar 158 to slidably move from its position as shown in FIGURE 11 to its position as shown in FIG- URE 10.

Formed in the upper edge of the guide bar are a plurality of unidirectionally extending ratchet teeth 181. These ratchet teeth are arranged to be engaged by a pawl 183, the latter being U-shaped having a pair of elongated legs extending at both sides of said guide bar, and a base which extends transversely across the ratchet teeth 181. The free ends of these legs 184 are pivotally mount ed on a pin 189 extending across and connected to the legs 154 and 155 of the channel. The pawl 183 is springurged against the ratchet teeth 181 by means of a tension spring 190 connected between the legs 184 and the base 156 of the channel. Extending laterally from each of the legs 184 and intermediate their ends, are a-pair of elongated arms 191 and, mounted on a pin 192 extending between the free ends of said arms 191, is a sheave 193.

A pull cable 200 is slidably secured for longitudinal movement in a guide 201 secured to the inner surface of wall 142, said pull cable and guide 201 being shown in FIGURE 9 positioned on wall 143. This pull cable has an operating handle 202 affixed to its upper end and is trained around the sheave and secured at its other end to a laterally projecting button adjacent the other end 206 of the guide bar. The provision of the pull cable 200 and the tension spring 173 provide the means for moving the guide bar 158 in both directions.

The spring 173 normally moves the guide bar in a direction so as to position the longitudinally extending portions 164- of the pintles across the apertures 157, while the pawl 183 engaging with the ratchet teeth 181 will prevent movement of the bar, whether accidentally or in an unauthorized manner, in the opposite direction. In order to move the guide bar 158 in said opposite direction, it is only necessary to pull upwardly on the pull cable 200. This pull cable being secured to the guide bar 158 will reach a taut position and pivotally move the pawl upwardly out of engagement with the ratchet teeth 181. The spring 190 and spring 173 are balanced so that after. release of the pawl, further pulling on the cable will move the guide bar against the action of the spring 173 to permit the longitudinally extending portions 164 of the pintles to be moved clear of the apertures 157.

A spring-urged latch 211 is pivotally secured to the plywood wall 142 adjacent to the outer leg 155 of the channel 153, and said latch having an outer portion 212 extending outwardly through an aperture 215 formed in said leg and having an inner portion 216 extending over the upper edge of said guide bar. A spring 218 extending under compression between the inner portion 216 of said latch and the lower edge of the wall .142 normally urges the latch to pivot so that its inner portion slidably bears against said upper-edge of the guide bar. A suitably located notch 219 is formed in said upper edge of the guide bar 158 to receive the inner portion 216 of the latch 211 when the guide bar has been moved by operation of the pull cable to position the portions 164 of the pintles clear of the apertures, therefore immobilizing the bar against a the action of the spring 173 so as to maintain the guide bar in its last-mentionedposition after the pull cable has been released.

Secured to the upper surface of the base 141 of the box 140 and extending along the side edges thereof, are wall supporting members 225. These wall supporting members may be formed of elongated strips of wood or the like and vary in depth in the same manner as housing 23, 70, 71 and 72 of embodiment 10.

Extending vertically through the members 225 are eye bolts 226, three of which associated with wall 142 are illustrated in FIGURES 10, 11 and 13. These eye bolts are spaced longitudinally apart in accordance with the spacing of the apertures 157 in the channel 153 and are secured in alignment with each other to the Wall supporting member 225, said eye bolts having screw threaded shanks 227 for this purpose. The eye bolts have apertured head portions 228 extending above the members 225 so as to extend upwardly through the apertures 157 of the channel when the wall 142 is arranged thereover. The head portions 228 of the eye bolts have eyes 229 and, as illustrated in FIGURE 13, are so formed and have a size relationship relative to the width of the channel 153 that with the eyes 229 positioned to receive the longitudinally extending portions 164 of the pintles, the peripheral edge 231 of said head portions which are arcuate in shape will slidably bear against the inner surface of the outer leg 155 of the channel 153, and permit rotation of the wall from an upright position as illustrated in FIG- URE 13 to a horizontal position over the base 141.v It will be appreciated that with the head portion 228 of said eye bolts 226 bearing against the outer leg 155 of the channel 153 and with the portions 164 of the pintles 163 bearing against the inner leg 154, lateral movement of the wall 142 relative to the base 141 will be prevented. It is to be noted also that said channel 153 is rounded at the juncture of the inner leg 154 and base 156 thereof to permit rotation of said wall 142 between its upright and folded positions. p

In attaching wall 142 to the base 141, the pull cable 200 is operated to move the guide bar 158 until the latter is engaged by and immoblized by the latch 211. The wall is then fitted to the wall support member 225 with the head portions of the eye bolts 228 extending upwardly into the apertures 157 of the channel 153. Thelatch 211 is then tripped with the foot or the like so as to permit the action of the tension spring 173 on the guide bar 158 to move the longitudinally extending portions 164 across the apertures 157 and into the aperture head portions 228 of the eyebolt 226. 1

To the end edges of the side walls 142 and 143, are secured U-shaped brackets 235 and, extending along the side edges of the end walls 145 and 146, are U-shaped clips 236. These brackets and clips serve'to interconnect the walls 142 and 145 in the same manner as the walls of embodiment 10 of the invention are interconnected by brackets and clips 93. A spring urged detent 237 similar to detent 100, as illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 6 of embodiment 10, is provided to maintain adjacent walls in interlocking engagement when said walls are arranged in a vertical or upright position. I

There is also arranged along the upper surface of each of the wall supporting members 225, a strip 238 of compressible material, such as rubber or the like, which is engaged by the U-shaped channel 153 of each of the walls 142 and 145 when said walls are arranged in an upright position, the strip 238 acting in the nature of a seal.

The cover 147 is bevelled at its edge adjacent the upper edge of wall 143 to permit its movement between a position in which it extends over and closing the box or crate to a position back to back with wall 143. This construction, of course, permits the walls 142 to 145 and the cover 146 to be folded over the base 141 in the same manner as their counterparts of embodiment 10 are folded, thereby permitting the crate to be reduced to a small compact package as illustrated in FIGURE 7 of the drawings. Furthermore, the cover '146 and wall 142 will, of course, be provided with a suitable locking arrangement, not shown, in order to prevent unauthorizedopening of the-box 140 during shipment thereof.

It will further be appreciated that one or more of the walls 142 to 145 may be constructed so as to be nonremovably but hingedly connected-to the base 141. This may be accomplished in the same manner as described in relation to embodiment 10, i.e. by replacing the pintles 163 with an elongated rod or the like, not shown, which may be extended through channel 153 and through the apertured head portions 228 of the eye bolts 226.

, What I claim as my invention is:

1. A folding crate comprising a flat rectangular base member, a wall member having inner and outer side surfaces and a lower edge, separable mating hinge elements at the lower edge of the wall member at a side of the base member being adapted when interconnected to hingedly connect said members for movement of the wall member between an upright position and a folded position in which it extends over and parallel to the base member, the hinge element'on one .member taking the form of an elongated U-shaped housing having inner and outer side legs and a base and having longitudinally spaced apart apertures formed therein for receiving the other hinge element on the other member, an elongated guide slidably carried on one member for longitudinal movement adjacent said longitudinallyIelongated hinge element, said guide having pawl engagement means, operating means for moving the guide, hinge pins carried by the guide, said hinge pins being located within the elon-' gated U-shaped housing at and being movable by the guide into and out of a hingedly engaged position with the hinge elements of the other member, a pawl adjacent the guide for automatically engaging the pawl engagement means so as to immobilize the guide when the latter is moved to a position in which the hinge pins are'located in said hingedly engaged position, and manually controlled pawl release means opera bly located adjacent the inner surface of the wall member for disengaging the pawl and pawl engagement means so as to permit the hinge pins to be withdrawn from their hingedly engaged position.

2. A folding crate as claimed in claim 1 in which the pawl engagement means comprises a plurality of unidirectionally extending ratchet teeth.

3. A folding crate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide, the elongated U-shaped housing, the operating means and the pawl are carried on the base member, sald pawl release means normally being located in disengaged relationship with the pawl.

4. A folding crate as claimed in claim 3 wherein the operating means comprises a pin on the guide extending through the housing for longitudinal movement relative thereto, and an operating lever pivotally secured to said base member outside the housing and operably engaging the pin.

5. A folding crate as claimed in claim 3 in which the pawl release means comprises an elongated vertically extending rod secured to the inner surface of the wall member for longitudinal movement and having a pawl engaging hook -at its lower end, said housing being provided with an opening adjacent the .pawl for permitting the hook to be moved into operable engagement with the latter.

6. A folding crate as claimed in claim 4 in which the hinge elements are U-shaped straps secured to the wall member and depending as loops below the lower edge thereof.

7. A folding crate as claimed in claim 1 wherein the guide, the elongated U-shaped housing, the operating means and the pawl are carried on the wall member, and wherein the pawl release means are connected to the pawl and said other hinge elements are connected to the base member, said hinge pins being located so as to slidably engage the inner surface of the inner leg of the housing, said other hinge elements comprising eye bolts each having apertured head portions extending above the upper surface of said base member for slidably and rotatably receiving the hinge pins.

8. A folding crate as claimed in claim 7 in which said head portion of each of the other hinge elements has an arcuately shaped peripheral portion adapted, when the hinge pins are extended through the aperture therein, to slidably engage the inner surface of the outer leg of the housing, thereby preventing lateral movement of the wall member relative to the base member.

9. A folding crate as claimed in claim 7 in which the operating means comprises resilient means connected to the guide for moving the latter in one direction to position the hinge pins in their hingedly engaged position, and a pull cable connected to the guide for moving the latter in an opposite direction against the action of the resilient means, said cable being operably associated with the pawl releasing means so as to operate the latter and thereby disengage the pawl and pawl engaging means when said cable is pulled to move the guide.

10. A folding crate as claimed in claim 9 in which the pawl releasing means comprises a lever arm operably connected at one end to the pawl and being positioned so that the cable is carried over its other end for operation by said cable as the cable is pulled against the guide.

11. A folding crate as claimed in claim 9 including a latch pivotally mounted on the wall member for lockably engaging the guide when the hinge pins have been with drawn from their hingedly engaged position to prevent movement of said guide under the action of said resilient means, said outside leg of the housing having an opening formed therein through which a portion of the latch extends to permit manual operation thereof.

12. A folding crate as claimed in claim 11 spring connected to the latch urging the latter mal locking position.

13. A folding crate comprising a fiat rectangular base, vertically arrangeable end and side walls, a cover hingedly mounted to one of the walls, elongated housing members connected to the base at the upper surface of the including a into a norlatter and extending along each edge thereof and having an apertured upper wall supporting face, U-shaped loops at the lower edges of the walls arranged when the walls are positioned on the housing to extend into the apertures thereof, a bar slidably supported in each of the housings for longitudinal movement therein, said bar having ratchet teeth on one horizontal edge, pintles carried by the bar extending longitudinally thereof for movement into and out of the U-shaped loops adapted when in the loops to hingedly connect each wall to the base for movement between their vertical position and a position parallel to and over the base, operating means connected to the bar and extending through the housing to move the bar, a pawl in each housing normally engaging the ratchet teeth of the bars to maintain the pintles in engagement with the U- shaped loops, each pawl having a pin extending therefrom and through the housing, an elongated rod slidably arranged against the inner surface of each of the walls adapted to engage the pin whereby the pawl may be moved out of engagement with the ratchet teeth thereby permitting the pintles to be withdrawn from the loops, interlocking means at the side edges of the walls for releasably connecting each wall to a wall adjacent when the said walls are arranged in their vertical position, the housings and each of their associated bars and pintles being arranged so that the pivotal axes of the walls are located in a sequence one above the level of the other at distances corresponding to the thickness of the walls, whereby said walls may be folded in said sequence one over the other parallel to the base.

14. A folding crate as claimed in claim 13 including fastening means secured to the cover and engageable with the base when the crate is arranged in its folded position.

15. A folding crate as claimed in claim 13 in which the operating means comprises a lever pivotally connected to the base and operably connected to the bar, said lever being arranged so that it may be operated by foot as the rod is being operated by hand to release the pawl from the ratchet teeth.

16. A folding crate comprising a flat rectangular base having wall supporting members extending along and adjacent to each side edge thereof, vertically arrangeable end and side walls adapted to be arranged over and resting on the wall supporting member, a U-shaped channel having a base and inner and outer legs fixed to the lower edge of each wall, each of said channel members having longitudinally spaced apart apertures formed in its base and inner leg, eye bolts connected to the base and extending through the wall supporting members, said eye bolts having apertured head portions extending above said members receivable by the apertures formed in the U-shaped channels, an elongated guide bar slidably secured on the inner surface of each wall for longitudinal movement relative thereto, said bar having unidirectionally extending ratchet teeth formed along one side edge, pintles carried by the bar for movement with the latter into and out of the apertures of the head portion of the eye bolts when the latter are extended through said apertures and being adapted when engaged with said eye bolts to hingedly connect each wall to the base for movement of each wall between a vertical position and a position parallel to and over the base, resilient means connected to each guide bar for moving the latter in a direction to hingedly connect the pintles and eye bolts, a pawl engageable with the ratchet teeth of each bar when the pintles and eye bolts are hingedly connected, each pawl having an operating lever, a pull cable operably connected to each guide bar for moving the latter against the action of the resilient means, said cable being trained over the operating lever and being adapted to operate the latter and disengage the pawl from the ratchet teeth as said cable is pulled to a taut condition to overcome the action of the resilient means, and a latch on each wall for automatically and rele-asably engaging each guide bar when the pintles are fully withdrawn from their hinged connection with the eye bolts, each of said latches having an operating portion extending through the outer leg of its associated channel to permit its disengagement from its associated guide bar. a 17. A folding crate as claimed in claim 16 in which each of the apertured heads of the eye bolts has an 'arcuately shaped peripheral portion adapted when one of the -pintles is extended through the aperture in said head to slidably engage the inner surface of the outer leg so as to prevent lateral movement of the walls relative to the base.

1 2 References Cited' UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

10 R. H. SCHWARTZ, Assistant Examiner.

Merrill 217--15, 

1. A FOLDING CRATE COMPRISING A FLAT RECTANGULAR BASE MEMBER, A WALL MEMBER HAVING INNER AND OUTER SIDE SURFACES AND A LOWER EDGE, SEPARABLE MATING HINGE ELEMENTS AT THE LOWER EDGE OF THE WALL MEMBER AT A SIDE OF THE BASE MEMBER BEING ADAPTED WHEN INTERCONNECTED TO HINGEDLY CONNECT SAID MEMBERS FOR MOVEMENT OF THE WALL MEMBER BETWEEN AN UPRIGHT POSITION AND A FOLDED POSITION IN WHICH IT EXTENDS OVER AND PARALLEL TO THE BASE MEMBER, THE HINGE ELEMENT ON ONE MEMBER TAKING THE FORM OF AN ELONGATED U-SHAPED HOUSING HAVING INNER AND OUTER SIDE LEGS AND A BASE AND HAVING LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART APERTURES FORMED THEREIN FOR RECEIVING THE OTHER HINGE ELEMENT ON THE OTHER MEMBER, AN ELONGATED GUIDE SLIDABLY CARRIED ON ONE MEMBER FOR LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT ADJACENT SAID LONGITUDINALLY ELONGATED HINGE ELEMENT, SAID GUIDE HAVING PAWL ENGAGEMENT MEANS, OPERATING MEANS FOR MOVING THE GUIDE, HINGE PINS CARRIED BY THE GUIDE, SAID HINGE PINS BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE ELONGATED U-SHAPED HOUSING AT AND BEING MOVABLE BY THE GUIDE INTO AND OUT OF A HINGEDLY ENGAGED POSITION WITH THE HINGE ELEMENTS OF THE OTHER MEMBER, A PAWL ADJACENT THE GUIDE FOR AUTOMATICALLY ENGAGING THE PAWL ENGAGEMENT MEANS SO AS TO IMMOBILIZE THE GUIDE WHEN THE LATTER IS MOVED TO A POSITION IN WHICH THE HINGE PINS ARE LOCATED IN SAID HINGEDLY ENGAGED POSITION, AND MANUALLY CONTROLLED PAWL RELEASE MEANS OPERABLY LOCATED ADJACENT THE INNER SURFACE OF THE WALL MEMBER FOR DISENGAGING THE PAWL AND PAWL ENGAGEMENT MEANS SO AS TO PERMIT THE HINGE PINS TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM THEIR HINGEDLY ENGAGED POSITION. 